Academic Administrator

Overview

The Academic Administrator role is a rare opportunity to teach abroad in India, serving two primary purposes. Their first role is to support volunteers from various teaching backgrounds who come to Shanti Bhavan. Their second aim is to ensure that Shanti Bhavan children experience consistent, high-quality teaching that fits with the school’s cultural values.

This is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in a close-knit community with the common goal of poverty alleviation through world-class education. Your experience as an Academic Administrator will allow you to grow your cross-cultural competency and equip you for future success in international spaces anywhere in the world. Past Academic Administrators have gone on to work in organizations like the World Bank and UNESCO or moved up to leadership roles as Vice Principals and Deans after completing their tenures.

Responsibilities

If you’re looking to teach abroad in a role that blends mentorship, leadership, and impact, the Academic Administrator position at Shanti Bhavan is a unique opportunity. Unlike many other international school jobs in India, this role gives you the chance to work with some of the marginalized children in India and help shape their futures through consistent, high-quality education.

  • Manage the academic responsibilities of a team of up to 10 volunteers from diverse backgrounds.
  • Conduct regular volunteer teacher observations. Engage in post-observation debrief conversations, providing both positive and constructive feedback.
  • Create a volunteer teaching schedule that reflects volunteers’ areas of expertise and meets the school’s needs at any given time.
  • Develop and maintain curricular materials across grade levels. Ensure volunteers regularly contribute to and update resources for the classes they teach.
  • Oversee the tutoring program. This includes collaborating with full-time Indian staff and volunteers to identify children who need additional support, setting up and maintaining individual tutoring logs, and providing volunteers with resources to utilize in tutoring sessions.
  • Support academic enrichment and extracurricular activities.
  • Maintain academic assessment data across grade levels.
  • Cultivate strong working relationships with Shanti Bhavan faculty and senior administration based on high trust and respect to ensure high-quality education for all students.
  • Teach one academic class per semester.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, Master’s in Education preferred.
  • Minimum 3 years of teaching experience.
  • Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required.
  • Superior written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ideal for candidates seeking to teach abroad in India while gaining cross-cultural leadership experience.
  • Exceptional mentorship skills to support volunteer teachers with individualized meetings and goals for growth, both in lesson planning and behavior management.
  • Capacity to serve as a supportive and professional mentor to children.
  • Ability to communicate effectively with local staff, ensuring that teaching practices and curricula are aligned across subjects and grade levels and consistent with Indian standardized testing requirements.
  • Ability to oversee the development of class materials, maintain an archive of past materials, and systematize access to curriculum changes over time.
  • Comfort in leading weekly professional development sessions to promote a robust and joyful teaching culture.
  • Flexibility to adapt to changing situations and expectations and relay those adjustments to other team members.
  • Superior ability to handle stress and set boundaries both personally and professionally.
  • Strong work ethic and an openness to learning new skills.
  • Ability to work under minimal supervision while remaining abreast of the school’s vision.
  • Competency with Microsoft Office, Google Docs, and other office software/tools.

Work Environment/Health Requirements

  • Shanti Bhavan is located in a rural village and is self-sufficient, relying on solar power and an organic farm for food. Living conditions are relatively basic (dorm-style rooming, possible power outages, etc.), with limited opportunities to travel off campus. Candidates must be comfortable working in such an environment.
  • Complete COVID-19 vaccination is mandatory to work on the Shanti Bhavan’s Children’s Project campus. For the purpose of this policy, fully vaccinated indicates that you have received a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or both doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.

Location

Baliganapalli, Tamil Nadu, INDIA

Compensation

The position includes a salary equivalent to local Indian standards, plus an additional monthly stipend of $3,000 USD.

Benefits

All expenses paid, including:

  • Round-trip airfare/transportation to and from campus.
  • On-campus room and board.
  • Visa fees.

Contract Period

June 2026 – April 2027, with the possibility of returning for one to two months in June 2027. There is a three-week break in December 2026.

Application Procedure

Interested candidates should complete the interest form available at the following link: On-Site Role Interest Form.